114 GLADSTONE
failed, by public campaign, drag the party after
htm ; that he could once more " create a public
opinion."
The negotiations collapsed ; the Government
fell on Mr. Jesse Collings's motion to give " three
acres and a cow " to each agricultural worker;
and Gladstone returned to office to solve the Irish
question in the place of Lord Salisbury. Parndl
was beginning to regret that under his orders the
Irish had presented some thirty seats to the
Conservative Party.
Gladstone must have now recognised that he
had got to get rid of the Whigs. Harrington had
" dug his toes in " since 1883. Having crushed
the Central Board in 1884, he was not likely to
alter his mind in 1886. The Whigs had got to
go, and this was a good moment for getting rid
of them. It was essential, however, to keep the
Radicals, and it was Gladstone's failure to do this
which precipitated the catastrophe. The line
that separated him from Chamberlain was a thin
one, and it is difficult to believe that this alone was
Responsible for the break. On the other hand, a
different explanation is also unsatisfactory. Per-
haps Gladstone did not appreciate the strength
of Chamberlain, though his diary is full of flatter-
ing references to him. - On October 8th, 1885, he
had written to Granville, " Chamberlain came
yesterday and I had a great deal ^conversation
with him. He is a good man to talk to, not only
from his force and clearness, but because he speaks